Joseph e



JOSEPH E BlLLlNGSt OF BELMONT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSEILF ANI) FREDERIC QH.MOORE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

.Lctfers'Patant No. 69,616, elated October 8, 1867; mitedated September12, 1867.

AUTOMATIC BLOTTER.

@tigt rigrbnlr eftmh tu in tlgrse letinf ntnlt mn making putt m' tigemit.

TO ALL W-[IOM I'l MAY OONCERN:

Be itvknown that I, JOSEPH E. BILLINGS, of' the town of Belmont, in thecounty of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a, newand improvedqAutomatic Blotter; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, 'and exact description of the constructionand operation -of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a partof this specification, in whichl Figure is aperspective view ofthe blotter, showing three iiierent arrangements foropening it.

Figure 2 is an endelevat-ion of the blotter, showing a. spring-opener.

Figure 3 is an endlelevation'of theblotter, showing a balance-opener.

Figure -1 is an end elevation of the blotter, showing a spring andclasp-opener.

My invention consists in so constructing and arranginga blotter in abook form that it will be aconvenient article for the table or desk, onwhich it willlie with its covers apart, ready to receive the paper fromwhich the surplus inkiis to beremoved, and will automatically return toits original position after using.

In the saiddrnwings, A represents the book covers, which may be madeof-any suitable material, B the bloMing-paper,sl strings, passing from.end to end inside the covers, to hold the blotting-paper in place, E a

spring attached to one cover, and playing freely in a clasp, G, on theother cover,(iigs. l and 4.)

This blott-er is operated by placing the paper to be blotted between thecovers, andpressing them together,

when the blotting-paper will take up the surplus ink, and upon theremoval of such pressure, the covers will` separate by meansot' thespring, allowing the paper to be removed. This, in my opinion, is thebest form of spring, but itis obvious that other forms may be used; forinstance, the spring E, instead of being-oi'v metal, as shown, may be ofrubber,secured to the clasp G or its equivalent at one end, and to thecover at the other, or the spring C (figs. 1 and 2) may be substituted,or the cover may be balanced by the weight D, (figs. 1 andS.)

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

Thic combination ofthe covers, the blotting-paper, and the spring or itsequivalent, substantiallyY as and for the purpose specified.

JOS. E. BILLINGS.

Witnesses:

HnMMAT'r BILLINGS, P. E. TEscuEMAeHER.

